Boil Water Notice in Tipp townland

Uisce Éireann and Tipperary County Council wish to remind customers supplied by Fethard Regional Public Water Supply that the Boil Water Notice (BWN) issued on 24 December remains in place. The BWN was issued to protect the health of approximately 6,700 customers. This is necessary due to issues at the Fethard Regional Water Treatment Plant, affecting the treatment and disinfection process.

Areas impacted include Cloneen, Mullinahone, Drangen, Killenaule, Moyglass, Ballinure, Ballinunty, Glengoole, Gortnahoo and surrounding areas. Customers can check if their property is included by visiting the Water Quality section of www.water.ie and entering the property’s Eircode or by calling the Uisce Éireann customer care helpline, open 24/7, on 1800 278 278.

Fethard town area is not under this Boil Water Notice as it is supplied from an adjacent supply.

Uisce Éireann and Tipperary County Council continue to work to rectify the issues at the water treatment plant with a view to lifting the notice as quickly and as safely as possible.

In the meantime, all customers on this supply are advised to boil their water before use until further notice.

Uisce Éireann’s Operations Lead, Colin Cunningham, regrets the inconvenience to impacted customers, saying, “Public health is Uisce Éireann’s number one priority. We acknowledge the inconvenience caused to homes and businesses over the two weeks. However, the restriction has been put in place to protect our consumers. Uisce Éireann and Tipperary County Council are working tirelessly to resolve the issues affecting the plant and lift the boil water notice early as it is safe to do so."

Uisce Éireann’s drinking water standards, as per EU Drinking Water regulations, are strict and include wide safety margins. Where risks to water quality are identified through Uisce Éireann’s enhanced testing and monitoring programme, the Health Service Executive (HSE) are consulted and Boil Water Notices are issued to protect public health. In all instances, immediate action is taken to address the cause of the issue to enable the lifting of the notice as quickly as it is safe to do so, in agreement with the HSE.

Vulnerable customers who have registered with Uisce Éireann receive direct communication on Boil Water Notices. Customers are reminded that the water is safe to consume once boiled.

Water must be boiled for:

•Drinking;

•Drinks made with water;

•Preparation of salads and similar foods, which are not cooked prior to eating;

•Brushing of teeth;

•Making of ice - discard ice cubes in fridges and freezers and filtered water in fridges. Make ice from cooled boiled water.

What actions should be taken:

•Use water prepared for drinking when preparing foods that will not be cooked (e.g. washing salads);

•Water can be used for personal hygiene, bathing and flushing of toilets but not for brushing teeth or gargling;

•Boil water by bringing to a vigorous, rolling boil (e.g. with an automatic kettle) and allow to cool. Cover and store in a refrigerator or cold place. Water from the hot tap is not safe to drink. Domestic water filters will not render water safe to drink;

•Caution should be taken when bathing children to ensure that they do not swallow the bathing water;

•Preparing Infant Formula: Where a Boil Water Notice is in place, you can prepare infant formula from tap water that has been boiled once (rolling boil for 1 minute) and cooled beforehand. Bottled water can also be used to make up infant formula. All bottled water, with the exception of natural mineral water, is regulated to the same standard as drinking water. It is best not to use bottled water labelled as ‘Natural Mineral Water’ as it can have high levels of sodium (salt) and other minerals, although it rarely does. ‘Natural Mineral Water’ can be used if no other water is available, for as short a time as possible, as it is important to keep babies hydrated. If bottled water is used to make up infant formula it should be boiled once (rolling boil for 1 minute), and cooled in the normal way. Ready-to-use formula that does not need added water can also be used.

Great care should be taken with boiled water to avoid burns and scalds as accidents can easily happen, especially with children.

Updates are available on our Water Supply Updates section on water.ie, on Twitter @IWCare and via our customer care helpline, open 24/7 on 1800 278 278.